Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-15
MISGOvERNED IRELAND.

MIsGOvERNED IRELAND.
 Not from the pen of Parnell-not ut tered on political platform by any of the ardent youngipatriots constituting the Irish Parliamentary party-not proclaimed 1n club-room or in newspaper column by en- thusiasts in the cause of native land-comes the latest formal indictment against Great Britain for the crime of Irish misgovern- ment. The accuser this time is English of the English-one who has grown old in the front ranks of British statesmanshlp, holding the highest positions in the gift of the State-Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister; one who commenced his political life as Tory, but could not con- sent to keep his great soul in the bondage of an exclusive oligarchy and boldly emerged into the life and light of Liberal ideas-became a leader amongst the ad vanced spirits of his new affiliations until he attained the honor and responsi- bility of guiding and defending the desti- nies of his nation; and then, his iberality expanding with his progress, he came to
 
 Ireland he had at one time un- consciously aided to oppress, the imperative object the eliminating point of great career. This aim reaching a successful end would close the political life of William Ewart Gladstone; for he covets no higher tribute for his tomb than the record of having contributed to Ire lands redemption.
 "The Grand Old Man," as his admirers affectionately call him, is using his hours of vacation retirement in furtherance of this grand scheme of his political pursuit. His last pronouncement-a letter to Lib eral organization in Scotland-may be ta- ken as the keynote of his Parliamentary action. He writes:-"S Shocking and pain ful discord is being created in the name of the Union; as at one time the worst crimes were committed in the name of Liberty. The state of Ireland has grown sadly worse under the present government"
 ''Under the present government" says MT Gladstone. We say under all govern ments; not even excepting the seccessive governments of the ex-premier himself. But here explanation is needed Glad voice in the Cabinet; he was supposed to have the direction of Irish policy-of all policies-in his hands; but this is minis terial fiction. He was held responsible be- fore the people for the decisions of ma jority of his colleagues; and the Gladstone A o+, >f demned when the 'old man eloquent was himself as guiltless of harsh measures for Ireland's government as were the Irish representatives, who afternoon and night, and from night to morning again, fought against the Draconian propositions of a Forster or a Balfour. Yes, every govern ment Whig or Tory, Radical or Con- servative, Liberal or nondescript, it was all the same. From the days when the adventurers of Henry II obtained their first foothold Irish soil, by the unau- thorized deed of gift of an Englishman Pope of Rome, until now, when England reigns supreme in it's usurped domain, Ireland has been openly misgoverned for the benefit of England-to serve he1 material interests-or perhaps gratify- ing her national hatred. No treaty ever so solemnly entered into be- tween the countries has been held sacred From the Treaty of Limerick when Ireland surrendered on the stipulation ot equal laws and equal liberty, to the Legis- lative Union when Ireland was promised a fraternal connection, it has been all the same-For the equal laws of the Limerick liberty her portion was chains and slavery. And so the bounties and blessings that were to follow the murder-or, if you will the suicide-of the Irish Parliament have been turned into curses and crimes Coercion has been substituted for Concil- iation; Penal Laws by other names have been perpetrated and perpetuated not only against religious toleration, but civil lib erty. Foreign mercenaries have ruled the country in the English interest, not that there was any dearth of native scoundrels willing to act as an English garrison in Ireland. Cromwell's corporals and drum mers, and the Swiss guards of the Will liamite wars were by conquest and confs- cation made the owners of the soil; and the aboriginal possessor were made worse than hewers of wood and drawers of water for the alien taskmaster. Union, indeed The union of the shark with it's prey, as the great English poet, Lord Byron, in his one only speech in the House of Lords de- scribed the measure by which Castlereagh murdered his country. But the noble poet also described the remorseful sequence o1 the criminality of the Irish Secretary ot the time: ''He cut his countrys throat and then his own. Does Balfonr ever in his Scottish second-sight look out for the Nemesis?
 THE DIGNITY OF LABOR.
 The promotion and protection of Labor interests, and the upholding of Labor dig 4l>o Lo,,Je of oI>o,, ;4oo1e